TOWIE - New Style TV?

Within the media lately, I keep coming across articles referring to The Only Way is Essex as a new kind of TV programme.

Following the drama of a bunch of people that seems far too absurd to be real, leaving the viewers guessing whether it has all been staged or not, was worth a BAFTA, apparently.

I would be impressed... If it hadnt already been done.

Laguna Beach? The Hills? Anyone? Anyone? Beuller? Beuller?

It has been prophesied that such reality TV shows, like TOWIE and Made in Chelsea, are the programmes of the future.

I doubt it - us Brits get bored far too easily. All you have to do is compare the amount of episodes we have per season for a show, and how many seasons we have, to those created by producers in the US.

For example, The Office.

Here in the UK we can only tolerate about 6 episodes per season for a show. Then the second season is rarely ever any good in comparison to the first. Then we campaign for a third season, convincing the producers that it is a good idea. Then we complain about overkill when they listen to us and create the third season. Then, once we have forgotten about the inadequacies of the later series, we use Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites, to campaign for a fourth series.

That's when the producers refuse to comply to our demands and create either a Christmas special or a film.

Let me show you the difference between UK shows and US shows:

UK (Episodes, Series)
• The Office (6, 2, Xmas Special)
• I'm Alan Partridge (6, 2, Potential Film)
• The Inbetweeners (6, 3, Film due in August)
• Gavin & Stacey (6, 3, Xmas Special)
• The Mighty Boosh (6/8, 3)
• How Not to Live your Life (6, 3, Xmas Special for 2011)

US (Episodes, Series)
• Friends (24, 10)
• Frasier (24, 11)
• Scrubs (22/24, 9)
• Sex and the City (12-20, 6)
• Seinfeld (5-24, 9)
• The Office (6-28, 7)

So, do I think that programmes like TOWIE and Made in Chelsea are the future? No, I don't. We'll be bored in no time. Big Brother went stale after its third year - and that was pushing it.

I could be wrong, but I'm probably not.



- Loulabella posting from her iPhone